Love and Falling Stars
by xweethearts
Summary: She was a Star, far from anyone's reach. He was a human, far from a Star's gaze. And yet, the Night sky was what brought them together.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

I am the Little Bear.

I've been seen by half of the world, and yet am still being sought for by the many. There are those who are awed by my beauty; there are those who search for flaws; there are those who wish they were I.

Oh, I would gladly grab that opportunity.

It's not easy to remember the faces of those who look up to the night sky and meet my gaze. The Great Bear once told me that there will come a time wherein despite the many eyes that stare at me with admiration, there will be one human whose face I will recognize; whose face I will remember.

"But these eyes cause our fall! They wish, wish, wish, upon us all and boom! They don't even know what they cause. I cannot bear to remember one, or I will curse it, 'til I die!" I stubbornly told the Great Bear.

The Great Bear just smiled and replied calmly, "You will know in time. You will know."

Oh I know. When wishes are granted, the weight piles up within the stars, and when it becomes too heavy, we all fall- and it's those eyes' fault.

I've seen it happen. I've seen my sisters grant wishes, fall, and attempt to enter that blue and green ball made up 16 billion eyes! But they always fail to enter that world. There's this magical thing that won't let even a single dust from my sisters enter.

It's not great scenery-watching my sisters dive down to that blue and green ball they call… EARTH. I remember now. The Earth is where my sisters prefer to go. I don't know why, when there's the Beautiful Venus, The Ringed Saturn, Cool Neptune, the Handsome Mars… or Mother Sun. I don't understand why they wouldn't prefer anything to that Warm Earth.

My mind then wandered back to the conversation with the Great bear, a few years ago, when he told me that things are getting a little difficult for him already.

"Why, Great Bear?" I asked, confused. He seemed to be in good condition. "You still are sparkling and twinkling well."

"Don't you see any change in me, Little Bear?" His eyes were strong and determined.

"Why, no," I said abruptly… and then looked at his stars once again and blurted out, "Well of course!"

"What is it then, Little Bear?"

"You… you are brighter than usual!" The Great Bear was more stunning than anyone I've seen. I've never seen my friends twinkle this much, not even the Fighter, Orion.

"Yes, that is indeed right, little one," he replied. "Do you know why this is so?"

"No, no, I don't. But I'd like to sparkle the way you do, Great Bear." I enthusiastically said, "Then I can be more than the Little Bear! They will look up at me with more praises, but of course, not more than what they give you, Great Bear. Know that I will never outshine you, nor would anyone!"

He chuckled at my compliment and I, in turn, stared blankly, listening as he said, "Young one," his tone was full of wisdom, "Someday, I will have to leave the night sky."

My eyes widened at the thought of losing the Great Bear. He's the closest to my Heart, and he's been there since I came about. "No, Great Bear! You are strong and you can carry even the weight of the entire world!" I exclaimed, looking at the oblate sphere that floated below us with hatred, "I won't let that lifeless thing take you, Great Bear!"

"But it is inevitable, Little Bear. Everyone will have to face their end someday—even that world down there."

I was angry, very angry. "We can't always grant their wishes, they know that!"

"But don't you feel bliss when you are able to grant their heart's desires?"

I fell silent.

"It is part of our destiny to fulfill as much wishes as we can, even if that would mean our own end someday."

I found my voice once again, "No. This… It can't go on like this! They will finish our kind!"

"Listen, Little Bear." He said softly, "When we grant those human's wishes—"

"_Human_? Who is he?" I interjected, not meaning to be rude, only interested.

The old Bear smiled, "They own those eyes, make wishes and—"

"Cause our fall." I finished his statement. "They abuse our powers."

"No, they _believe_ in it," he assured me. "Those humans, when they become thankful and happy, create newborns."

"Newborns," I breathed. "Where are these newborns, Great Bear?"

"The universe is too vast to let one's eyes see its entirety," he said, "even for those humans. The newborns are everywhere. Thus, our kind will never be gone. We will continue to light up the evening sky; continue to grant wishes."

"It's not easy to let all these things happen just like that- then all of you, the Wise Constellations, will disappear in no time!"

"Acceptance is the key, my daughter."

I was silent for a while, until a thought came into my mind, "But we can refuse to grant their wishes, can't we? I've done that, more than once, Great Bear, I have."

"Yes, indeed, we can. But it gets harder as we grow older."

"Why is that so?"

"It becomes harder to decline their wishes for slowly, we become a part of their lives, and then it becomes too hard to detach ourselves from them."

I tried to understand.

"It gets a little harder every time… until you decide to let yourself fall."

"Oh, I wouldn't." I swore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

My mind would always replay that conversation with the Great Bear. He is now very old, which is why most of his stars had gone out, but he still continues granting the humans' wishes. Only his biggest star, his Mind Star, shines.

"My daughter, listen." He said weakly one night.

"I always am, Great Bear." I politely replied.

"I can feel my end coming near. I am ready to succumb to the weight…"

I bowed my head in despair, "Must we all go?" I knew the answer, but when answers come from the Great Bear, they always seem more real.

"Yes, Little Bear…" I heard him say, "We must all go and return to ashes and dust- that which we were all made from. And from us, new ones shall be brought forth."

I started to cry, as I watched the Great Bear lift his head up high, and face Mother Sun.

The light was starting to be blinding, signaling the whole galaxy's rest. I was supposed to close my eyes, and drift to oblivion, but at that moment, I couldn't let myself.

I blindly watched, transfixed.

Great Bear looked at me for the last time, smiled and bowed. When he looked back at Mother Sun, he exploded, his light emanate, as if he'd never lost it.

Just then, his words echoed in my head. "We all have to follow the cycle of life, extreme light, and the fall…"

Then, I lost sight of the Galaxy.

I woke up when evening fell on Earth. I had to give them light, again.

I looked frantically looked around, and searched for the Great Bear, hoping that whatever flashed before my eyes was just a dream.

Silence welcomed my unfurling thoughts… the Great Bear was nowhere to be seen.

"Acceptance is the key…" I said silently, as tears fell from my eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

Millennia have passed by me a little too fast. It felt like I've entered a warp, only I wake up every night to realize that nothing's drastically changed to consider my being warped.

Now, I can already feel the weight of the wishes which I have granted. And yet, like how the Great Bear would have placed it, I regretted nothing. I felt right, and I was happy that they were all happy—even if only my Mind Star, and Heart Star are glowing perfectly now. The others have just stopped giving off enough light to brighten the humans' night sky…

One night, while the humans walked busily along their streets, one Boy stared up at the heavens, his chin resting on his knees—tucked like a child in a cold world.

I wasn't sure if I've seen him before… but he stared at me, with great awe and appreciation. Somehow I knew that it was my Heart Star which caught his attention greatly.

He remained still and silent, while I – in turn- waited for his wish. No one looks up and never wishes.

But he spoke of nothing.

So every night, I would wake up and search for him, his face, and his speaking eyes. I looked forward to seeing him stare at me, like I was the only constellation present and that my North Star was the brightest star in the night sky. He made me feel special, and real… unlike any other human. I would continue waiting for his wish, but I would sleep not hearing anything from him.

His earlier days included sitting in a tall tower with a light on its top, which seemed to have been seeking for something in the oceans. The light would never fade. Well, so long as I'm awake, it's lighted, too. It seemed like it went on, and on, searching the vast waters.

One clear night, I woke up, and looked at the tower with the light, but I found it empty. I waited, and waited, but he never arrived. The Boy had gone…

The next few nights were dull without the adoring eyes of the Boy, which was why I would grant –and unendingly grant- wishes. A constellation would need strength in order to decline the wishes, and during those empty nights, strength was something which I had very little of.

I made more than five hundred humans happy- everyday- but for the first time, I was never blissful enough, even if almost every being shouted in joy.

It was my 2,200,010th year, and I am to complete my revolution in a while. This made me yearn to see the familiar face where I have felt comfort and contentment. I was going to get older, again. And if that happens, I will change my position and lose sight of the Boy who made every weight of the granted wishes lighter.

That was when I decided to send my Mind Star, to go down to Earth, and attempt to enter it, so that the Boy would see, and hopefully decide to look up- look at me-again. But my Mind Star returned, half of its light already out- unable to penetrate the extremely cold shield of the Earth.

I thought of giving up.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Everything else changed, one cloudless Earth night, when I at last, saw the face of the Boy who never failed to make me feel bliss.

He sat atop the hill, facing me; facing the North Star- that which he loved most.

He murmured something, something which we, constellations can never understand. I've never been this frustrated for not being able to hear the normal thoughts of the humans. We were designed only to hear their wishes, and nothing more.

Hours flowed swiftly, and I could still see his lips moving, speaking. I tried to read and understand. I tried. I tried so hard to know of his thoughts.

Just when I thought of stopping, due to the fact that it was frustrating not to hear, I started making words out of what I primarily could hear nothing of…

"Night… Lighthouse… I never thought… would ever desert it…"

Then slowly, it became clearer. I knew then, that I was close to hearing his wish… "It wanted nothing else but the vast oceans. And from where I sat, I saw everything- everything that my lighthouse loved… everything that its light gave warmth to…" He looked down, at the earth below his feet, making his words softer, hushed, "You see, it gave warmth to everything around us, by casting its light upon them; to everything, except me."

I watched his pained face, and at that moment, I wanted to be near him... and ask him so many questions. I wanted to warm his night. I wanted to be with him. I wanted to be with him badly.

I wanted to be the reason for his happiness, just as he was mine.

He continued, "It never lowered its light upon me. It never gave me warmth." He looked up, his sadness never diminishing, "And that was when I saw you. I realized then, that somewhere higher than the heavens, something shone, and emanated light upon the entire world…upon me."

I listened intently, knowing that this night would be the last before I complete my revolution- before I am seen by the other part of the world, and no longer by this Boy who looks at me with admiring eyes.

"Stella Maria," it whispered, looking at my Heart Star… _He gave it a name…_ "I only have one wish…"

I waited for him to continue, watched as he took in air, as if he has been deprived of it for the longest time now.

I watched as his lips moved to say the words…

The moment he has said the words, his wish, I heard the words of the Great Bear first… "It becomes harder to decline their wishes for slowly, we become a part of their lives, and it becomes too hard to detach ourselves from them."

Then it sunk into my mind that the words which he breathed into the night sky, into my Heart Star, and into my Soul were:

"Stella Maria, I wish… I wish you would warm my nights far greater than how you are doing now…" He looked up, as a tear streaked down his cheek, "I wish you- my light, my guide, and my reason- would someday… someday…" He paused and whispered, "…fall. Someday, Stella Maria…"

**Epilogue**

One Day, on the opposite side of the world, a young girl was looking up at the night sky- staring at what her teacher called the North Star. The star shone brightly, very brightly that night, which was why they were asked to observe it.

She held on tightly to a white handkerchief, waited… and waited.

She knotted the cloth…

Made a wish…

And watched the North Star fall.


End file.
